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Yesterday I woke up just in time for Game of Thrones (as promised) and retired just as quickly (but do you think Sansa is really going to go to Littlefinger for help?). Today however, I’m still half in the bag and sleepy as Hell.

That’s all in the past though. For today I’ll be pairing my blue collared shirt and eggshell cargo shorts with my business casual Yazole 298 on brown alligator strap! This will be a first for the little champ. I have yet to take him out yet. Sure, a few test circuits around the house; the wife and kids have seen him, but so far unseen by the public. This will be his “coming out”. We’ll soft land him in a work scenario. No meetings planned so it’ll be just us in my cube and the occasional visitor swinging by to nag me about something I did wrong.

Yazole 298

If he performs well he may earn a trial spot on the varsity team … those timepieces approved for exposure at my family get-togethers. Those gatherings where everyone who “loves you” sit in judgment of the way you dress, your kids behavior, your wife’s cleavage, the way you eat your food, you’re career, whether you’re as successful as your younger sister, and yeah … even your watch. I believe that this guys’ got some real potential with the family. Hoping he’ll rank better than my job did. Baby steps! We’ll see how work goes today first!

Like this:

Yazole is a “brand” that you’ll see on many watches in the cheap Chinese watch universe. I have found their designs to be a mixed bag of like ’em / don’t like ’em. The Yazole 271 falls into the “like ’em” category for me. While the white face and brown leather band fit in well in a casual business environment, the black dial and leather band can successfully accessorize a day at the track. And I got one of each.

My Yazole 271’s in glorious white and black. So cheap, so beautiful I had to get both!

Conclusion & Rating

Cons

I dinged the Yazole 271 a couple of stars because while it was understood that the sub-dials would not function, they could have looked a little less pasted on. They aren’t horrible, but it doesn’t take a particularly thorough inspection to see how obviously “faux” they are. That combined with the overall quality which is a bit “chintzy”. As noted in my review of the Valia 8601-1 the metal used in the manufacture of the case of the Yazole 271 is rather lightweight and the whole watch lacks “heft”. That lack of substance is also reflected in the straps. They start out stiff and … not uncomfortable … but not comfortable either. It’s not that they make the watch a chore to wear, but they are relatively thin and feel cheap. Perhaps they will wear in over time. I had considered new bands for the pair of watches I purchased, but I am not sure that I can justify a $15 leather band on a $3 watch. Not yet anyway.

Pros

That being said, it measures up quite well to my two most important criteria …

Keep accurate time – The Yazole 271 keeps time as well as you would expect.I don’t check back to an atomic clock every hour or anything but after a couple of weeks I have not had to reset the time on either watch. So that’s accurate enough.

Look and Feel Great – While the sub-dials won’t fool anyone who stops for a close look, how often does that happen? I have worn it to work several times [Watch of the Day – 06/01/2016] and while I was not actually stopped in the hallway by anyone to admire my timepiece, I would have been happy to show it to anyone if they had. It’s a very attractive watch and while I would not recommend paying more than $5 for one, you don’t have to, as it’s easily attained for $2 – $3.

Recommendation

In my opinion, this is an attractive watch and it is VERY budget friendly. At $3 you get far more than you pay for. I can comfortably recommend it with a couple of caveats …

Price under $5. Don’t pay more than $5 . There are better made watches in the $5 – $10 price range. Even a few under $5.

You are willing to maintain it or accept the fact that it will not likely survive much punishment.

Interested in further “deets”? Feel free to continue reading to get additional thoughts and feedback of my experience with the Yazole 271.

The watch I chose for today is about being smart and casual, maintaining the illusion to my colleagues at work that I know what I am doing. The Yazole 271 with the white face and brown PU leather strap fits the bill … let’s see if I still have a job this evening.

Glamour Shot

Yazole 217 in action!

End of Day Report

The day ended gloriously of course. My colleagues were none-the -wiser to my clueless nature and I continue to be gainfully employed! They were no doubt, seized by the aura of confidence this little beauty radiated through me! Another $2 well spent!